Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41838361›Full record

ArticleAnnals of surgical oncology2026

Real-World Outcomes for Patients with Clinically Node-Positive Melanoma Undergoing Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy and Nodal Dissection.

Joshua Herb, Roland L Bassett, Carlos A Torres-Cabala, Victor G Prieto, Sapna P Patel, Ashley M Holder, Sarah B Fisher, Anthony Lucci, Jennifer Wargo, Rodabe N Amaria and 10 more

Erratum issuedAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of surgical oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Joshua HerbDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Roland L BassettDepartment of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Carlos A Torres-CabalaDepartment of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Victor G PrietoDepartment of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Sapna P PatelDepartment of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
Ashley M HolderDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Sarah B FisherDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Anthony LucciDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Jennifer WargoDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Rodabe N AmariaDepartment of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Michael A DaviesDepartment of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Isabella C Glitza OlivaDepartment of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Hussein A TawbiDepartment of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Jennifer McQuadeDepartment of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Alexandra P IkeguchiDepartment of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Michael K WongDepartment of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA.
Adi K DiabDepartment of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Jeffrey E GershenwaldDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Merrick I RossDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Roi WeiserDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. Rweiser@mdanderson.org.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNeoadjuvant immunotherapy (nIO) followed by a therapeutic lymph node dissection (TLND) for patients with clinically node-positive melanoma is supported by level 1 evidence. Our aim was to assess the association of pathologic response (PR) and nIO regimen with survival among patients with clinical stage III melanoma undergoing nIO and TLND.

methodsOur study included patients treated with nIO followed by a TLND from a large academic institution between 2016 and 2024. The pathologic response was assessed using established guidelines. Differences in extent of PR by nIO regimen were examined. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) by PR and nIO regimen were assessed.

resultsThe study included 121 patients (78.5% treated with combination nIO; 21.5% treated with single-agent anti-PD-1). The pCR rate was 64.2% for combination therapy and 53.8% for monotherapy (P=0.11). In univariable analysis, patients who received combination therapy had a 2-year DFS similar to patients treated with single-agent anti-PD-1 (86.5% vs 85.1%, respectively; P=0.43). Patients with a pCR had a 2-year DFS of 94.4% versus 57.3% among those with pathologic non-response (pNR) (P<0.001). In multivariable analysis, PR was associated with DFS, but the nIO regimen was not. Our findings showed similar results for OS, with a 2-year OS of 98.1% for patients with pCR compared with 94.7% for those with pNR (P=0.01).

conclusionsConsistent with clinical trial data, the findings in this study support PR as a strong predictor of survival in this patient population. Studies investigating the de-escalation of surgical and systemic treatment based on PR as well as biomarkers of patients who can achieve a pCR after monotherapy alone are warranted.

Indexed as

ImmunotherapyLymph Node ExcisionMelanomaNeoadjuvant TherapySkin NeoplasmsAdultAgedCombined Modality TherapyFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansLymphatic MetastasisMaleMiddle AgedPathologic Complete ResponsePrognosis

Identifiers

PMID41838361
PMCPMC13242473

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.